Interpretive Summary: In order to develop safe and effective alternatives to the use of environmentally hazardous pesticides, research is being conducted to develop means of natural or biological control. At the USDA-ARS Insect Attractants Laboratory in Gainesville, Florida, researchers are studying how pest insects use chemical attractants to locate potential mates. A set of epoxydiene compounds known to be sex atractants for some species of moths was tested in north Florida for attractiveness to local species. Four species of moths, Probole alienaria, Zale lunifera, Halysidota tessalaris, and Renia salusalis were attracted to these compounds. Two of these, P. alienaria and H. tesselaris, are urban and forest tree pests. This information may be used to develop monitoring methods for these insects and also helps us understand the patterns of chemical structures that are used as pheromones by different groups of moths.

Technical Abstract:
Males of four species of moths were captured in traps baited with enantiomers of epoxydienes in north Florida. The noctuid Renia salusalis was captured in traps baited with (3Z,6S,7R,9Z)-6,7-epoxy-3,9-nonadecadiene, the geometrid Probole alienaria in traps baited with a 1:1 mixture of enantiomers of cis-6,7-epoxy-3,9-nonadecadiene, and the noctuid Zale lunifera and the arctiid Halysidota tessellaris in traps baited with (3Z,6Z,9R,10S)-9,10-epoxy-3,6-henicosadiene. It is likely that these compounds are part of the sex pheromone of females of these 4 species.